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The 12 biggest former PGA Tour players teeing it up for the second LIV Golf event at Pumpkin Ridgehttps://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/the-12-biggest-former-pga-tour-players-teeing-it-up-for-the-second-liv-golf-event-at-pumpkin-ridge/slidelist/92571715.cms2022-06-30T16:33:18+05:30

The 12 biggest former PGA Tour players teeing it up for the second LIV Golf event at Pumpkin Ridge

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Tyler LaulettaJun 30, 2022, 16:33 IST

The 12 biggest former PGA Tour players teeing it up for the second LIV Golf event at Pumpkin Ridge — Brooks Koepka vs. Bryson DeChambeau is the hottest rivalry in golf.AP Photo/Charlie Riedel; AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
LIV Golf is set to host its second event this weekend, in Portland.
Since its debut event in London, the Saudi-backed golf league has added several more star players.
LIV Golf is back this week, hosting its second event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club just outside of Portland, Oregon.
Since the Saudi-backed league made its debut two weeks ago, the sport has shifted quite a bit.
The threat LIV Golf presented to the PGA Tour was greater than many thought, and in the days between the first event and this weekend's, several more big names from the PGA Tour have joined the new league, including the likes of Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Patrick Reed.
Additionally, LIV Golf is filling out some of the edges of its roster with younger PGA Tour talents, such as Matthew Wolff, Talor Gooch, and Abraham Ancer. While they might not be the biggest names in golf just yet, they are all proven PGA Tour players that haven't yet reached their primes, and they will go a long way to make the field of LIV's second event stronger than its debut.
Still, even with the additions LIV made between London and Portland, the league has a pretty long way to go before it can offer the elite competition that is undoubtedly a part of its long-term plan.
Just 20 of the 48 players in this week's field are ranked in the Top 100 right now, including just two players — Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka — in the Top 20.
That said, with more players likely to consider the jump as the season goes on, LIV fields should only get stronger from here. Until then, here are 12 names you'll likely know heading into this week's LIV Golf event.

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Brooks Koepka

Brooks Koepka — Brooks Koepka reacts after a shot at the 2022 US Open.AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty
World rank: No. 19
Best major finish: 4 wins — PGA Championship (2018, 2019), US Open (2017, 2018)
LIV Golf team: Smash GC (captain)
One thing to know: Brooks Koepka is one of the latest former PGA pros to make an about-face on their LIV Golf stance. "They'll get their guys," Koepka said of the upstart league back in February. "Somebody will sell out and go to it."
At his first press conference with LIV Golf, Koepka refused to go into details regarding his change of heart. "Just my opinion, man," Koepka told reporters ahead of the Portland event. "My opinion changed."

Bryson DeChambeau

Bryson DeChambeau — Bryson DeChambeau.AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
World rank: No. 31
Best major finish: Win — US Open (2020)
LIV Golf team: Crushers GC (captain)
One thing to know: Bryson DeChambeau has been one of the biggest stories in golf over the past few years, bombing drives further than any other player on the PGA Tour. As the new team captain of Crushers GC, his team name certainly fits his style of play.

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Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson — Phil Mickelson plays a shot at the Farmers Insurance Open.AP Photo/Denis Poroy
World rank: No. 84
Best major finish: 6 wins — Masters (2004, 2006, 2010), PGA Championship (2005, 2021), Open Championship (2013)
LIV Golf team: Hy Flyers GC (captain)
One thing to know: Phil Mickelson is still the biggest name in all of LIV Golf and will again captain Hy Flyers GC. This time around, he'll have three new teammates, with Bernd Wiesberger, Matthew Wolff, and Itthipat Buranatanyarat filling out his roster.

Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson — Dustin Johnson watches his shot during the first round of the LIV Golf Invitational in London.AP Photo/Alastair Grant
World rank: No. 17
Best major finish: 2 wins — Masters (2020), US Open (2016)
LIV Golf team: 4 Aces GC (captain)
One thing to know: Dustin Johnson remains the top-ranked player on the LIV Golf roster. With many of those above him in the rankings, including Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, and Collin Morikawa, pledging their commitment to the PGA Tour, it's unclear if that fact will change any time soon.

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Patrick Reed

Patrick Reed — Patrick Reed plays a shot during a practice round ahead of the 2022 US Open.AP Photo/Julio Cortez
World rank: No. 39
Best major finish: Win — Masters (2018)
LIV Golf team: 4 Aces GC
One thing to know: Patrick Reed is another PGA Tour mainstay making his debut this weekend at LIV Golf's event in Portland. With teammates Dustin Johnson and Talor Gooch, Reed and the 4 Aces are the only team in LIV Golf to boast three players ranked in the top 50 in the world. No other team has more than one, and half of the 12 teams have zero.

Louis Oosthuizen

Louis Oosthuizen — Louis Oosthuizen plays his tee shot at the 8th hole of Augusta National at the 2022 Masters.AP Photo/Matt Slocum
World rank: No. 21
Best major finish: Win — Open Championship (2010)
LIV Golf team: Stinger GC (captain)
One thing to know: Louis Oosthuizen captained Stinger GC to victory at the first LIV Golf event in London, but was the only player on his team to not finish on the podium, with Charl Schwartzel taking first, Hennie du Plessis finishing second, and Branden Grace in third.

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Ian Poulter

Ian Poulter — Ian Poulter watches his shot at the 2022 Zurich Classic.AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
World rank: No. 96
Best major finish: 2nd — Open Championship (2008)
LIV Golf team: Majesticks GC
One thing to know: Ian Poulter was the captain of Majesticks GC for the London event, leading the team to a third-place finish in the team portion of the tournament alongside fellow Englishmen Lee Westwood, Sam Horsfield, and Laurie Canter. This week the same four men will make up the team, but Westwood will take up the captaincy from Poulter. The intricacies of roster decisions among LIV Golf teams are still quite murky.

Sergio Garcia

Sergio Garcia — Sergio Garcia plays a shot at the 2022 US Open.AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty
World rank: No. 63
Best major finish: Win — Masters (2017)
LIV Golf team: Fireballs GC (captain)
One thing to know: Sergio Garcia has won just once on the PGA Tour since his Masters win in 2017. Still, given his standing as one of the greatest Ryder Cup players of all time, Garcia remains one of the bigger draws LIV Golf has to offer. At his press conference ahead of the Portland event, Garcia said he hoped that he'd still be able to compete on Ryder Cup teams, though given the relationship between LIV, the PGA, and the European Tour, that possibility remains in doubt for now.

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Matthew Wolff

Matthew Wolff — Matthew Wolff reacts after a shot at the 2022 Travelers Championship.AP Photo/Seth Wenig
World rank: No. 77
Best major finish: 2nd — US Open (2020)
LIV Golf team: Hy Flyers GC
One thing to know: Matthew Wolff is a good catch for LIV Golf — a young player still ahead of his prime that has already made waves at the highest level of the sport, including two top-five finishes at majors in 2020.

Abraham Ancer

Abraham Ancer — Abraham Ancer chips onto the green at the 2022 PGA Championship.AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
World rank: No. 22
Best major finish: T8 — PGA Championship (2021)
LIV Golf team: Fireballs GC
One thing to know: Abraham Ancer is another strong addition for LIV Golf ahead of its Portland event. He stands as the fourth-highest-ranked player on the roster, behind just Koepka, Johnson, and Oosthuizen.

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Kevin Na

Kevin Na — Kevin Na waves after a shot at the 2022 US Open.AP Photo/Julio Cortez
World rank: No. 33
Best major finish: 7th — US Open (2016)
LIV Golf team: Iron Heads GC (captain)
One thing to know: Kevin Na's Iron Heads GC finished last in the team rankings at LIV Golf's debut event, with the team ending the weekend +16. Na will hope to improve on that this weekend in Portland with the help of two new teammates — Phachara Khongwatmai and Sihwan Kim.

Talor Gooch

Talor Gooch — Talor Gooch tips his cap after sinking his putt on the 9th hole at the 2022 PGA Championship.AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
World rank: No. 38
Best major finish: T14 — Masters (2022)
LIV Golf team: 4 Aces GC
One thing to know: Like Wolff and Ancer, Talor Gooch is not yet the biggest name in golf, but he's a player on the verge of being considered among the elites. As one of the highest-ranked players in the field this weekend, thanks to his strong play on the PGA Tour, Gooch was a captain at the first LIV Golf event, but in Portland he'll play under Dustin Johnson with 4 Aces GC.

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